Desiree Jennings and Dystonia: Why Fake It?

I realize this post is a little out of the ordinary from my usual posts on this blog. Normally I try to keep all my posts to stories and inspirational thoughts to give hope and encouragement to caregivers, parents of special needs children, and anyone else in challenging circumstances. But today it seemed necessary, given the recent news story about Desiree Jennings on 20/20, that I should write about it in my blog. You can read more about the news story at the examiner.com.

Having a son who suffers from Dystonia (you can see David’s story here), I am well aware of the suffering and struggles someone has with this heartbreaking and debilitating disorder. I’ve met many people in my yahoo support group with varying stages of Dystonia. I can tell you it’s no cake-walk! Why on earth would anyone ever want to fake having this disorder, especially a vibrant, beautiful, athletic young woman who seems to “have everything going for her”?

I certainly don’t know all the ins and outs of her story but I do believe that it’s important not to jump to any ignorant conclusions about someone who is obviously suffering from something horrendous. It’s obvious that something is going on with her. Some say it is possibly Psychogenic Dystonia which is still a very real condition.The DMRF (Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) has written some fast facts on Psychogenic Dystonia.

So, therefore, in the spirit of the purpose of this blog, I think people should consider giving Desiree Jennings a little “grace” before jumping to any conclusions. What do you think? You can view a small video of the recent new story and give your thoughts and comments below.